Title

Attorney General No.

SA87RF0034

Secretary of State No.

424

Description

JUDICIAL REORGANIZATION. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Makes changes in Judicial Branch, including, among others: reducing length and number of terms for judges; eliminating requirement judges and judicial candidates be lawyers; reorganizing Judicial Council by reducing number of judges and adding majority of popularly elected "laypersons" as members; adding majority of "layperson" positions to Commission on Judicial Appointments, eliminating Attorney General position and granting Commission, rather than Governor, power to fill judicial vacancies; adding majority of "layperson" positions to Commission on Judicial Performance, eliminating lawyer positions, modifying Commission's practices and requiring Supreme Court to hold public hearing before modifying recommendations of Commission. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Based upon available information, it is estimated that the adoption of this measure would during the first decade, result in net state and local government costs of at least several million dollars during statewide election years. Thereafter, these costs would be offset to an unknown extent by possible savings in state retirement payments to judges. There could be other administrative costs of unknown amount resulting from new judges being appointed and there would be state costs of less than $50,000 in expenses for additional members on commissions.